The Ties That Bond
by the15thpaladin
Summary: A re-telling of FE:if/Fates with more of a focus on Corrin, his siblings and retainers, and traversing the mad world they live in. They only have each other when all else fails. I'm still debating the final title. Ahh well.
1. Chapter 1: Waking Dreams

His head was numb, vision still hazy, arm heavy with a bloodied, golden sword in hand; his body was stiff and unable to move. Patches of his pale skin were exposed from cuts and holes in his armor as the wind assaulted the open nerves. A wide grassy plain dotted by juniper trees blurred into existence. A nearby river cut through the landscape, dyed red with blood. Its smell danced around with the distant scent of cherry blossoms in blissful cacophony. Familiar, powerful, male voices called out to him: "Corrin!" "Corrin! Come back to us!" Clashes of steel-against-steel filled the air along with their chants. His eyes twitched to their figures but couldn't focus on them. The two men soon backed off and stretched out their hands to Corrin. More people, both male and female, joined in the shouting: "Corrin!" "Corrin!" The calls grew louder and louder, but all he could do was watch.

"Wake up!" A distant, far gentler voice called. Corrin's head suddenly cleared and his eyes darted around looking for the source. That voice didn't match anyone there. Slowly the scene dissipated into inky black; his body floated in space.

"It's time to get up!" The voice again called out.

The darkness released him to the throes of gravity. Realizing the situation, Corrin finally regained control of his body. He sat up and struggled to open his eyes.

"Err…Morning…Flora…" He tried to talk while holding in a deep yawn. Corrin finally managed to open his eyes to the sight of a maid with pale cyan-colored hair tied neatly into two small ponytails on the back of her head which cleanly framed her fair face. Next to her was a handsome butler wearing rather thick black gloves – you could mistake them for gauntlets. His light-grey hair was also cleanly knotted into a single long ponytail. Corrin stood up and stretched to loosen the sleep from his joints.

"Good morning, Lord Corrin." Responded the maid. She swiftly bowed then moved to open the curtains, revealing the overcast, yet bright sky. The spacious but minimalist room immediately brightened; simple red tapestries accented the grey atmosphere emitted by the overcast sky and the dark stones of the ramparts of the Northern Fortress below.

"Today looks to be better than last." She moved to make the slightly disheveled bed.

"More to the point, it is time for training, milord." Spoke the butler. "Your elder brother is waiting for you in the courtyard below. You best hurry or risk being late. Your armor is already prepared."

"Ahh, thank you, Jakob. Brother Xander's already here?"

"He arrived here about a half an hour ago."

"Why didn't you wake me sooner?" Corrin, wide-eyed, rushed to clean his face using a nearby washbowl. He quickly changed from his sleeping garb into light, black clothing and donned the nearby chainmail and pauldrons.

"Lord Xander thought you might be tired from all you've been studying as of late. He had a few matters to attend to with Lord Leo and Ladies Camilla and Elise, and thus allowed you to rest a while longer."

"Yes, that may be true, but you could have woken him before now. A prince of Nohr is always punctual and prepared. You dote on him beyond reason at times." lectured Flora.

"I'm following _Prince Xander's_ orders. Milord did not specify when to wake Lord Corrin, and when it is time to rouse him, I always inform you and Felicia; I did the same thing this time. However I am a stand-in for Felicia, whom I ordered to prepare " _tea_ " for him. She will join us soon." Jakob retorted.

"Yes, yes. However, it is important to maintain a consistent schedule to-"

"Come on you two. Flora, it's good to be consistent, but a bit of relaxation is fine once in a while right? Though Flora's right, Jakob. If I had woken a little earlier, I wouldn't be rushing as much now." Corrin was now making sure any lingering bed head would be eliminated from the spiked black hair, his red irises scanning quickly across a nearby mirror.

"Yes, milord." Both of them responded in unison.

"Now then, I'll be going off to meet with Brother Xander."

"Yes, milord. I shall accompany you." Flora said. Jakob bowed as the two left.

As soon as the door closed, Jakob moved to clear the washbowl, and noticed that Corrin had, once again, forgone wearing boots. "My, my…I don't think we've ever be able to get you to wear any form of footwear on a regular basis, Lord Corrin... Best be prepared for anything then…"

In the stairwell, a moment of silence passed as they quickly moved downward.

Flora broke the silence. "How are you this morning, Lord Corrin?"

Corrin sighed. "Flora, you, Felicia, and I grew up together here, address me less formally. I'd feel more comfortable."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but it is not my place." A smile crept across her face.

Corrin sighed again. "Well, suit yourself. But back to the topic: I feel odd… I was having a strange dream; I wish I had more time so I could finish it…"

"What was it about, Lord Corrin?" Her curiosity piqued.

"Well…I was on some sort of battlefield. I had clearly been fighting, and had a strange blade in hand. Two men were calling out to me to join them while locked in combat. More and more people started to call out to me, telling me the same thing: 'Come back to us.' It was rather unsettling. It seemed like I knew all of them. You woke me before it went any further."

"A strange blade?"

"Yes. It was a golden sword. I couldn't make out the details though."

"It reminds me of something I heard when I was younger. Back in the Ice Tribe, I heard tales of a hero who wielded a golden sword to bring peace to the world."

"I believe you told me that story a long time ago."

"I did? You remember that?"

"It was when we were much younger, but it stuck with me for some reason. But…that story's years old to me…"

"Maybe it had something to do with the people in your dream? Did you recognize anyone in particular?"

"No. But one side wore the dark colors of Nohr, while the other, of Hoshido. However, the Nohrian had the legendary blade, Siegfried, and the opponent, a strange katana coursing with lightning."

"Is it possible that Prince Xander was the one holding Siegfried? He _is_ its current wielder."

Something clicked. After a moment in thought, Corrin responded.

"I…I couldn't make out the figure very well… but now that I think about it, it could have been. He was wearing plate armor, like that of Xander's..."

"Do you know why they were calling out to you?" Flora was totally engrossed by now.

"Not really, but I feel that I was the focus of this conflict…If I didn't do something, the situation would get worse; I was feeling really pressured… I'm starting to think that it's good that I didn't have a chance to find out." The statement pulled Flora back.

"…Well. It's nothing, right? Dreams are dreams."

"Yeah, but…"

"Don't pay too much attention to it then; it will disturb you."

"…Right. You're right. I'm letting this bother me too much."

Flora chuckled lightly. "To think though, the humble Nohrian prince, Corrin, dreams of attention, wielding a sword of legend." Flora elbowed the young man. "You rarely lie, but you've always been a fantastic storyteller" Her usually calm face was grinning.

"Hey now!" He returned the gesture with his own prodding. A happy smile colored his face too. "I did dream that!"

The two jostled as they walked on, and quickly arrived at the entrance of the main compound. Towering oaken doors stood before them.

"Ahh." Flora snapped to attention. "We can continue our conversation later, Corrin. We have arrived."

"Yeah. I'll talk to you soon." As he was about to push the doors open, Corrin paused and turned to Flora. "It's been a while since I've seen you horse around like that." The goofy smile continued to plaster his face.

"Oh!" Flora's face reddened and brow furrowed at the revelation. "How unbecoming!"

"Haha. I told you it's okay. I'd forgotten how much you liked to listen to my dreams. I'll talk to you soon." Corrin waved and pushed open the doors.

Flora's composure return quickly. Corrin's wave was met with an elegant curtsy and a relaxed smile. It was as if she was never embarrassed in the first place.


	2. Chapter 2: The Next Step

The surrounding masonry emanated a dark, Gothic aura as Corrin stepped out into the courtyard. Contrasting starkly, the gardens of roses to the left and right were vibrantly red and green with a quiet sweetness. Two ornate fountains were placed opposite to the exit Corrin came from, breaking the otherwise silent morning. Overshadowing all of this in the center of the courtyard, a stern, well-built man in regal, etched black plate stood erect. A short purple cape trailed behind him. A dark metal circlet accented an elegant hairstyle and topped his strong and toned face, his dark eyes piercing through the world around him. He was the crown prince of Nohr, Xander.

"Ahh, Corrin." The stern look on his face relaxed as he turned to face the entering Corrin.

"Xander! It's good to see you. How long will you be here in the fortress?"

"It is good to see you too, though I will not be staying long this time. I'll be departing back to Windmire after your training."

"I see…" Corrin's tone dropped. "Is there any news regarding Father?"

"We can discuss those matters later, I only have so much time to train you. Ready your weapon." He pointed to a nearby rack of weapons from which Corrin picked up a broadsword and gave it a few swings.

"Now come at me!" Bellowed the blonde prince, brandishing a similar weapon.

The session went on for about an hour. The brothers traded blows back and forth. They quickly fell into the rhythm of fighting: Xander had broken into a light sweat while Corrin was doing so profusely. Xander juggled his blade between hands, parrying as Corrin tried to throw attack after attack.

"Not bad, Corrin. You've improved." The fighting lulled a moment.

"But…" Corrin panted. "You're still better… Haa…"

"No, you have the skill, but you are missing something. Your blows lack the resolve to kill when necessary! Now, come at me as if I were an enemy or you'll never leave this castle!"

Corrin rallied himself. He had been confined in the Northern Fortress for all of his life, and Xander never made a joke about serious things like this. Corrin resumed swinging, but he realized that it was futile to keep on like this. He needed to do something decisive. He tried to think of something, and that clearly distracted him.

"You've left an opening, Corrin!" Xander thrusted his sword at him. "Pay attention!"

Corrin was slow to parry, but found his golden opportunity. He dropped the parry and took the full force of Xander's attack, the tucking the training blade under his arm. Inverting his own sword, Corrin swung broadly at Xander's head with the pommel as a bludgeon, a murder stroke. Xander dodged the potentially lethal blow, stepping back and letting go of the hilt - the blade still held by Corrin's arm. Corrin shoved the off-balance prince with his shoulder as he re-gripped his sword's handle in his left, knocking Xander flat on his back. Corrin pointed his sword throat of his brother. Both of them smiled at each other.

"Hahaha! Impressive, Corrin! I hadn't anticipated that move! I believe that was the first time you've beaten me."

"Haa…Haa…Haa…I've been… taught well… Haa…" Corrin lowered his sword and rested it on the ground. He dropped his brother's sword to the ground. Pain seared up and down his arm, it had bruised quickly and rather badly.

"Well, that may be the case, but you were still reckless. Let us tend to your wound before it worsens." Xander stood up and stretched his arm out. A bolt of energy coiled into the ground. One of the nearby fountains exploded with light.

"Come, Corrin. Put your arm in."

"Brother…is this…was there…a dragon vein below us?" Corrin gently lowered his arm into the pool of light. The pain evaporated, and Corrin was able to catch his breath.

"Yes. You will soon be able to detect these veins clearly – it's a matter of getting the feel of it. Now about that wound, I'll have a healer come by to-"

"Big Brother!" A younger voice called out from behind them. It belonged to a young lady. Her long blonde hair tied into unusually shaped pigtails with black and gold ribbons. Her black dress was almost as dark as Xander's armor, but the pink frills of her dress contrasted the dark tone.

"Corrin! Xander! I saw the match. You were amazing!" Her blue eyes sparkled.

"Elise! Well… Xander's good at this, and I got lucky.I didn't want to get stuck here for the rest of my life so I tried something a little different; I don't think I could do that again though…"

"Hahaha. I see. That's what spurred such an action." Said the dark-armored prince. "Well, do not fear. That would only be the case if you had shown no signs of improvement."

"What do you mean by that, Xander?"

"I was trying to say that earlier actually. I was sent here to fetch you to Father. However, he specifically said that if you didn't show promise, you were to stay here permanently." Corrin was flabbergasted. "Though I've said it so many times already, it is warranted: you've improved so much since I last saw you months ago. Gunter deserves praise." He smiled proudly.

"Yeah! Now that you've proved that you can beat Xander, we can take you back to Castle Krakenburg! You get to be with us now!" Elise chimed in happily.

"That's fantastic! I can leave the fortress now!?"

"That is correct. But you are first to present yourself to Father. See a doctor to make sure the wound has healed correctly, then pack your things. We leave within the day."

"I'll do that right away!" Corrin ran ecstatically; any sense of exhaustion was washed away. His bare feet carried him faster than he thought possible. After preparing, Corrin made his way to the stables, a leather satchel hung across his body. A blue-haired servant stood by, preparing saddles.

"Lilith!"

"Lord Corrin, hello! How exciting! You get to leave the fortress for the first time!" She tried to contain her excitement, doing her best to not wrinkle her apron.

"I know! I want to do so much!"

A surprisingly jovial laugh echoed as the crown prince entered, Elise tailing behind. "Calm down, Corrin. Calm down. I know you're excited, but one step at a time. We need to go to Windmire first."

"But Xander, Corrin gets to leave for the first time in 16 years! It's normal for him to be excited! I know I am!" Elise replied.

"Excited? That doesn't even scratch the surface! … Has it really been 16 years since I arrived here? Come to think of it, have I really been alive for 24 years now?"

"Something along those lines, Prince Corrin." Lilith chimed.

"Well, yes. But you know everything before I was seven is a blank to me; I would expect I would remember _something_."

A nearby door opened and out walked Flora and Jakob.

"Milord." The butler spoke.

"Jakob, Flora! You're here to see us off?"

"Yes. We have another motive though. This is a momentous time for you, and as such, Gunter, Flora, Felicia, and I have prepared a gift for you. I believe you will find it very satisfactory. Felicia!"

From the open doorway walked out Flora's twin sister, Felicia. Rather than pale cyan hair, Felicia's was a soft peach color that was tied up in a manner similar to Jakob. She was holding a rather large box.

"Lord Corrin!" She called out. "This is for you!" She stepped forward only to trip over seemingly nothing. She fell to the ground with a painful thud. Corrin and Flora quickly moved to help her up.

"Are you alright? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

"Yes…I think…nothing's broken at least. I don't need to go."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes… I'm fine."

"Felicia, be more careful! You can't keep tripping over everything, especially in front of Lord Corrin!" Jakob scolded.

"Sorry…Ahh! Right. Corrin, here you go!" She beamed as she presented the container, stretching out the pain of her tumble.

Corrin removed the lid, revealing a slim cuirass that had small protruding shells. On the left there was a single double-layered fauld. Lying on top of the armor was an equally silver set of vambraces that seamlessly melded with pauldrons designed using overlapping plate. Underneath both was a pair of similarly thin cuisses attached to greaves made of the same material and a new set of black, simple, elegant clothes – shirt, pants, and gloves.

"This…this is…!"

"Yes. An armor of your making." Flora confirmed.

"But…where did you get this design? I drew this years ago on a whim…and only after I read a few books on armor construction."

"You handed your notes to Prince Leo at one point; you wanted him to look over a problem you were having with your work. He went on about how surprisingly clever for how rough it was in design - a stroke of luck he called it. He polished and adjusted some details and present us with a more feasible construction."

"Ah! That must be why Leo was especially sore that one day."

"You know how he is, Xander..."

"Indeed, but japes and competition between siblings never change, yes?"

"We had the armor made in the event that something like today should occur." Jakob restarted. "Though we weren't sure how you would develop. Hopefully it fits. The clothes though, are tailored appropriately."

"I'll go try this on then!" Corrin turned towards Xander. Though with poise, Corrin's face was full of excitement.

"We have a few moments to spare here and there." Corrin ducked away at his words, at which he turned towards the retainers. "I have to thank you for your service in helping us raise and educate him. It appears we have succeeded."

"Indeed, my Prince. He has been most kind to us as well." Jakob replied with a bow.

Minutes passed and Corrin stepped out into the stables. Everything fit comfortably. While battle-ready, the collar of his shirt coming through the opening for the head accented the armor, giving Corrin's appearance a more elegant flair. And of course, it considered Corrin's affinity for not wearing shoes.

"My, my." A grizzled voice called out. "That looks extraordinarily well on you, milord." It was Gunter. A battle-worn man with a defined scar slashed across his face. His greyed and aged appearance belied his vast wisdom and knowledge of combat; it was only apparent when he wore armor. He had arrived in the short interval Corrin was gone.

"It…fits so naturally. I feel just as nimble as if I were wearing just leather gear. But…you could have gotten me any suit of armor. Why go to all the trouble?"

"We thought it would be best to present you with something that conveys our emotions best: something extraordinary. Lord Xander approached us when he arrived, and told us that you would be leaving today. He needed to confirm your growth with today's training, so we took the opportunity to neatly arrange everything."

"Ahh. But there's one thing we forgot." Flora quickly produced a medium-sized navy blue cape and fastened it to Corrin, pinning it across his chest with a spade-like brooch.

"Dashing." Xander commented.

"You look great, Corrin!" Elise's eyes glowed with admiration.

"But it's time we head out. Gunter, Felicia, you will be accompanying us to Windmire; your jobs as retainers have only just begun. Flora, Jakob, stay here for a while longer. You will receive notice as to when you will be rejoining Corrin."

"Understood, Lord Xander." The butler replied.

"Come, Corrin, Elise. We make haste for Windmire."

"Well, I guess I'll see you again. Not inside these walls, hopefully!" The remaining servants quietly bowed.


	3. Chapter 3: The Heart of Nohr

The group arrived at Windmire within three uneventful days on horseback, the rocky landscape was the only view for miles as they made their way through mountainous terrain. They arrived during the late evening, the towering walls surrounding the small towns and the inner citadel greeted them from afar. The reception was silent, not a soul was aware of the arrival of the royal entourage. They made their way through the sprawling city – the slums, inner town, and political hubs - to a large pit towards its center with walls that towered even higher than the outer ones. Tangled within it were webs of suspended pathways and stone structures – the lair that is known as Castle Krakenburg.

The party arrived at the castle. Two figures, a male and a female, were there to greet them.

"Welcome back, brother." The male gestured towards Corrin. "I see that Corrin passed the test." He smiled. His face was built gentler but was painted with a look of pride; he wore his hair in a more combed fashion with a hairband rather than a circlet. Regal black plate was donned and accented with a large, ornate, navy-blue dust cloak with a high collar. Only magi of high caliber wore such extravagant garb.

"Indeed. We will go and notify Father that we have arrived." Xander gestured to Elise and Gunter to follow him. Felicia moved to unpack the horses, paying close attention to her walking.

"I'm so glad to see you, Corrin! Now we can spend even more time together. Did you miss me?" The woman moved to hug Corrin; her dark red eyes focused on him. She had flowing purple hair that was adorned with a black circlet reminiscent of a dragon's horns. Her black plate was slimmed to take consideration of her feminine appearance, as per her request, but offered maximum protection by using more aggressive convex angles. A rather beautiful and intimidating visage that contrasted gentle face and demeanor.

The two were Prince Leo and Princess Camilla of Nohr. While it was normal for Xander to wear plate armor because of his visit to the Northern Fortress, armor in some form, a cuirass especially, was considered to be part of the general garb in the castle. Conflict and violence often came from unexpected places and people, and as such, the royalty were always prepared for combat. Corrin's return was a special occasion so they would look the part, even if no one knew.

"Leo! Camilla! It's been a few months since I last saw you! Why didn't I see you there at the Fortress earlier? I had heard from Jakob that you were present." He returned Camilla's hug.

"I was to look over your progress from an academic standpoint and report to Father. Camilla was to accompany me." Leo replied. "Camilla and I traveled by air – she flew me to and from the Northern Fortress on her wyvern."

Camilla voiced her frustration. "I was so upset I didn't get a chance to talk to you… but I dealt with it to make sure you could be with us here now."

"I see. Well, I'm here now, Camilla. That being said, how did I do, Leo?" Corrin tried to talk through his sister's pampering, curious to hear about his results.

"Well, you started a later for health reason and your work is a bit rough at points, but overall, it has met the expectations set. In fact, some of it was rather creative. A quick example would be your understanding of armor design." His gaze turned towards Corrin's armor. "Of course, I could go on and on about the benefits and downsides of your design: improvements, aesthetics, and whatnot. But we'll save that for another time, yes?

"I'm glad to hear that I'm meeting expectations. But I need to thank you, Leo. This gift is fantastic."

"It was nothing - a breakthrough from your hard work. Your retainers recognized that and presented you with this; I only suggested it to them, but thank you all the same. It suits you well, brother."

"Indeed. Our Corrin is ready to take on his duty as a prince of Nohr. And now he looks the part!" Camilla stepped back to admire Corrin's appearance.

"That's enough doting for now, sister. Let us go inside and rest." Leo turned to Corrin again. "The hour is late, and there will be an audience with Father in the morning. I imagine your retainer has found a room for the night."

The morning came slowly for Corrin; he was too excited. It was rather early when he woke up. He donned his armor and paced about for a short while around the castle, taking in the new environment and absorbing as much detail as possible. Slowly but surely, the time arrived for the meeting. The throne room was a grand affair compared to the entirety of the Northern Fortress. It sprawled openly, pillars lined a path towards a pale stone-hewn throne; red carpets with black and gold tiles decorated it. A grand tree grew behind it; its roots crawled all around, raising its branches and roots towards slivers of light and the roaring flames of nearby fire bowls. Hung on the walls were blood red tapestries depicting centuries of history. They were the only colorful decorations in the otherwise grey chamber. On the throne sat a man younger than Gunter, but still clearly aged and battle-worn. He wore dark plate, like his children, but it was far more ornate and fit for a man of his position. His white hair was peppered with whatever was left of his youth. Next to him on his left were Corrin's siblings, standing at attention. On his right was a regal and sharp battle-axe coursing with a fiery aura. He was the Warrior King Garon of Nohr.

"Hello, Corrin."

"Hello, Father. It has been a while."

"Yes. It has been over 16 years since I last saw you. I've heard stories about your progress, and now you have more tangible results. So says Xander."

"Yes, Father."

"Let us put it to the test. Follow me." The king rose from the throne, picking up his axe, and moved to open a nearby door. The passage they entered lead to a balcony above small arena. Once all the children were present, Garon pounded the shaft of his axe on the ground lightly, and a magical glyph appeared. A blade slowly emerged from the glyph. It was a wickedly long and curved sword composed entirely of obsidian shards."

"This is Ganglari. It is a sword bearing an otherworldly enchantment. Take it, Corrin. Take it and master it."

"Th-this is for me?"

"Yes. Discard your current blade and take this as Nohrian royalty."

"Yes…" Corrin picked up the blade. He could feel the power emanating from the blade.

"Recognize that this gift will be proof of lineage. Do you know of the power that belongs to us?"

"Yes, Father. The power of the Dusk Dragon, a dragon who dwelled in this land and amassed followers who would one day make Nohr what it is today."

"Correct. It was our god - it gifted it to us. It granted Nohrian royalty control over the energies of the earth. You know this power to be control over Dragon Veins - wells of energy buried deep underground. We will rule the land using our power. Now show me if you can master it." Garon pointed for Corrin to enter the arena below.

"A fight, Father?"

Garon nodded. "Remember: there are times which you must use knowledge to survive and times which you must survive to use knowledge. Survive."

Corrin nodded and entered the arena. A strange sensation raced through his head; it buzzed and hummed and he could feel energy spiraling in the pit of his stomach. Out of a nearby passage, Felicia and Gunter stepped out, Gunter was armed and mounted while Felicia was dressed in leather equipment.

"Prince Corrin, we will join you. I've lost my edge with age. Forgive these old bones, milord." Gunter flourished his simple lance as a warmup.

"Right! I'm not the best fighter either, Corrin. But you can count on me!" Felicia added. Corrin looked at them.

"Release the prisoners!" Garon pointed to a nearby guard. Out of a nearby gate, seven shackled men filed out, all wearing oriental armor and clothing of Hoshido. Their faces were gaunt and eyes filled with indignation. The gate closed behind them.

"These men... prisoners of war..."

"Yes. Crush them. Prove your skills and title of Prince of Nohr!" Garon commanded from afar.

"R-right…"

"Do not worry, milord. Felicia and I are here with you." Gunter readied his lance.

The prisoners' had their binds removed and given weapons.

"Fight the-" One of the prisoners cut down the handlers. The group began to charge at Corrin's small force, blinded by anger, intent on ending as much of the royal lineage as possible.

"Be ready." Gunter's experience showed here; his demeanor remained calm in the face of possible death. He galloped off to the left to pick up momentum.

One of the Hoshidans rushed ahead and tried to strike at Corrin who stepped back to parry the blow. Felicia moved faster though. She grabbed the aggressor by the wrist, knocked him off balance and easily threw the man on his back using his own momentum. Corrin followed up and cut the prone man along the throat. By this point, Gunter wheeled around and skewered another, continuing on to attack again. The Hoshidans scattered about, confused at the sudden retaliation. Felicia deftly kicked out a pair of hidden daggers from her boot into her hands and threw one cleanly at another soldier's head. As she dashed to retrieve her weapon, a fourth man ran up to cut at her from the right. She noticed in time, parrying enough to only gash her along the arm. Corrin ran up and clashed with him while the fifth stabbed him in a gap between his armor. He overpowered his current quarry and cut him down while Felicia recollected herself and eliminated the enemy flanking Corrin. His and Felicia's wounds were not lethal, but deep enough for Corrin's instincts to kick in. He stretched out his hand, the feeling he felt earlier manifested itself: a bolt of energy coiled out his hand. Water spouted out of the ground, healing his and Felicia's wounds on contact and scalding the remaining two Hoshidans. The prisoners retreated, seeing the new display of power and the prospect of a painful death by burning.

"Excellent." A smirk crossed Garon's face.

As they retreated, Gunter charged through again and removed another man from the skirmish. Corrin moved to strike down the last soldier, who parried and backed off. Realizing he could not overpower them, the last quickly laid down his weapon and surrendered.

The chaos settled, and the remaining prisoner detained.

"This…Haa…This is what combat is like? Haa…Is this what it's like to kill…?" Corrin, dropping to his knees, tried to catch his breath. It wasn't his wounds but rather the intensity of the skirmish that had winded him. On top of that, this was his first real taste of battle and the death that follows; some of his bouts with Gunter and Xander were heated, but nothing compared to this.

"Quite, milord." Gunter's calm demeanor never broke during this clash; it was like breathing to him.

"I…I don't know how you managed this life…it's so intense…"

"It's something you get used to after a while, milord. Loss and bloodshed are mandatory as a soldier. You lose your comrades, superiors, and loved ones to a foreign arrow time and time again. Your own weapon is filled with memories of the ones you slay. Eventually, the pain grows numb."

"That's…Haa…a grim way to see it…but, if that's the case…why would you surrender…?"

"Loss is inevitable when fighting for a country, but so is the desire to live. That instinct to stay alive is what takes over during combat. There is something that keeps us going, even when part of us dies."

"What is it then?" Corrin had caught his breath.

"The desire to protect something, be it a person or a goal, in the hopes to return somewhere or start something anew. If we can't hold a sword to protect it, we survive to try and see it again. This is part of how we stay human in war. Find something to protect, milord, and hold onto that tightly; instinctual self-preservation alone is not enough in war. You will be consumed by either despair, indifference, or bloodlust."

"What do you fight for then, Gunter?"

"Unfortunately, my Prince, that is a detail I refuse to tell you. Sometimes you learn that lesson the hard way, like I, and it leaves bitter scars. Fortunately, your taste for battle here was mild and you learned from a mentor. These men were higher ranking warriors from the Hoshidan army; you can tell by the crest on their pauldrons. It was very likely that we could have been overpowered if the men were in better condition..."

"That is most certainly the case. Had these men not been imprisoned by us, Corrin would not have held a candle to them prior." The king's voice called out from behind. Garon and the other children had strided from the balcony above to the party below. Corrin bowed in his presence. "Your group performed admirably in combat. Your skills have been recognized, Corrin, martially and as royalty. Now, prove your heritage by conquest!" Garon gestured for the guards to bring the survivor to Corrin. "Kill this dog!"

"W-what?! Father, no! This man has surrendered absolutely, let him live!"

"Are you deaf, child? Kill him. The only reason he is alive is to prove your worth! If we do let him live, what guarantee do we have he will not try and kill us. We do not show mercy to those who would stand in our path." Xander visibly recoiled at these words.

"Father, he has unconditionally surrendered. If he planned to try anything, he is certainly in no condition, physically or emotionally, to attempt anything now!"

"You would defy your king and father!? I order you to kill him!"

"No, I will not. Where's the fairness in this?!"

"I will not argue this further. There is no fairness in war." Garon raised his battle-axe, magic surged through the handle and released flames from the head which coursed through the air to consume the prisoner. He burned intensely upon its contact, writhing painfully.

Corrin, now with a better feel for his power, quickly released another nearby dragon vein to douse the fires with a water spout. The man was still alive, barely so.

"Insolence! Your defiance will cost you dearly!" Garon swung broadly at Corrin with his axe. Corrin readied Ganglari to parry. A scream broke the tense moment, Garon halted his attacked, and the sound of cracking tree branches echoed through the chamber. Corrin felt the force behind Garon's attack; it was as if a heavy wind passed by him. But that force only caught his attention for a brief moment. Corrin's attention shifted to the source of the scream. The prisoner was entangled in tree branches, constricting his limbs and then exploded with energy, sending the man flying a short distance. An audible thud turned everyone's attention towards Leo, who stowed away a dark purple tome under his arm.

"L-Leo…" Corrin dropped his stance and fell to his knees staring at Leo, hurt.

"Father," Leo addressed, "I have dealt with the prisoner in Corrin's stead. He is still tired from his long journey here and is still very excited since you allowed him to leave; he did not act in the best state of mind. I ask that you be merciful in your punishment."

"Bah." Garon picked himself up and strode out of the room. "I will deal with this later. I have no more patience to spare."

A few moments passed. The siblings gathered around Corrin.

Corrin finally spoke up. "L-Leo…how…how could you! He surrendered!"

"I…apologize, brother… you don't know how volatile he's become recently. I did you a favor."

"Wh-wha-"

"Believe him, Corrin. He's right." Xander spoke up. "We no longer keep prisoners of war unless they serve a use, according to Father. A complete difference in previous dealings with them... Tell me, what is your reason for sparing him?"

"He had given up. He entrusted his life to us in an attempt to stay alive; is that not what surrender is? It is a courtesy of the victor to abide by that."

"Such a kindness will be your downfall one of these days…"

"If it does, Xander, then I fall without regrets…"

"Hmm… Well said…" A smile crossed his face then quickly reverted to his usual stern appearance. "Be wary then, unwarranted mercy is no longer welcome here. You will be punished severely in the future for disobeying this mandate." Corrin begrudgingly nodded.

Camilla stepped closer. "Don't worry about this for now, Corrin. I'll talk to father later. For now, go and make sure your wounds are properly healed – dragon veins only do so much, as you may have found out by now."

"T-thank you…" Corrin stepped out and headed to the pharmacy, letting loose a long sigh.


	4. Chapter 4: A Moment of Friendship

A few days passed since the meeting. Corrin was sitting in a small room, reading over a short novel. A light knock on the door stirred Corrin out of his story.

"Coming."

Corrin opened the door. It was Felicia, holding a small tray.

"Hello, Lord Corrin! I brought some tea and fruit for you!"

"Ahh. Thank you. Please, come in."

She proceeded to enter, only to trip on the way in. Luckily, Corrin caught her before anything worse happened. She set the tray onto the nearby table.

"Thank you, Corrin. I'm sorry I keep messing up…"

"It's fine. You try your best, and that's really what counts to me." She smiled. Corrin had said this many times to her in the past, and every time it seemed to make her happy, despite her own misgivings.

She moved to change the subject. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine. Are you doing well?

"I am…things are fairly normal for me, but yes..." Her face darkened with gloom at the recollection of how much tableware she broke in the past few days. She lightly slapped her face to collect herself. "What have you been doing these past few days? I haven't had many chances to talk to you."

"Other than reading some books, I've been doing some thinking."

"Oh? You think?"

"Ha ha. Very funny." Corrin's dry remark and wry smile elicited a tiny chuckle from Felicia.

"All joking aside, about what, Corrin?"

"About what Gunter said after the trial, finding something to fight for."

"Did you think of something?"

"Yes… and no…"

"W-what? That doesn't make sense."

"How do I explain…? I fight for my family. Including you, Jakob, Gunter, and Flora. I work to meet expectations of me, but at the same time I work to one day be able to fight for you, to protect you. I've done this for all my life, so it's nothing new really… but now it has a deeper meaning…"

"That's very reasonable… even if it is rather clichéd." She was smiling. She was quite happy to hear that her childhood friend puts out that much effort for those closest to him.

"Hey, it may be clichéd but it's really that simple…How do you do it Felicia?"

"I genuinely wish to support you and Flora… I don't know what I would do without either of you. You two are my world right now." A melancholic smile crossed her face.

Corrin smiled. "Don't worry about that. I'll be just fine with the quality of support I receive from the both of you. Flora's quite skilled too and has a Nohrian prince on her side!" Felicia's expression lightened.

Corrin's thoughts turned to the Northern Fortress now that the situation became less dour. "Speaking of Flora, I wonder what she and Jakob are up to now…"

"Jakob's probably worried about you in his usual manner, moping about not standing by your side and serving you. Flora's probably running the whole show over there when he is." Her voice reflected her delight of the humorous scene.

Corrin chuckled. "Yeah, that sounds about right. And Flora's probably scolded him for it too, even though Jakob is technically her superior."

Felicia chuckled as well. The two sat down and continued the small scenario for a short while, enjoying the inevitable truth that had or has not yet come to pass.

"Hahaha. It's been some time since we've enjoyed each other's company, Corrin."

"It has. I haven't had much time between my studies and training back at the Northern Fortress. The only time I get to spend with your or Flora is when you escort me to and from locations. Otherwise we just exchange pleasantries and go about our day."

"There were those few occasions where we would spar; Gunter wanted you to have some variety."

"Oh yeah. In particular, I remember that I was taken aback when I first found out how good you were. I was flattened!"

"I'll be honest, I've always felt much better fighting than holding a tray. It was my father who first brought this to my attention when I was younger. I'm never clumsy in combat. Especially now since Gunter formally trained me!"

"Oh? Then why continue on as a servant? Why not become a full martial retainer like Gunter?"

"Err…umm…" She knew what she wanted to say, but her hesitation was still clear. "I… kind of wanted to be like my sister…"

"Like Flora?"

"Yeah… she looks so cool and elegant… she can move without tripping every twenty steps…"

"She is so punctual too!"

The two continued to gush on and on about Flora's skills, but Felicia eventually reached her point.

"But… at the end of the day, I thought… that it would be better to serve you with more than just a sword in hand."

Oh! Right…we were talking about that." Corrin scratched his head in embarrassment. "Well… I didn't do much. All I did was be a friend."

"That was exactly it, Corrin. You've done nothing but be a friend for Flora and I. When we arrived at the fortress, we were forced to serve you by King Garon as part of a treaty with the Ice Tribe's leader, our Father, Kilma."

"…I…I didn't know you were forced to serve me…Gunter just told me that you two would be my servants when we were older…"

"He was likely concerned that you would worry about our situation."

"He was right. I am!"

"Haha. It's fine. Everything's okay with us. Both of us thought we would end up serving a spoiled prince who might take advantage of our situation. Instead, we both got one of the kindest people we know – you welcomed us with open arms, literally!" Corrin's aggravation calmed. He had his misgivings, but for now, he would take her word. Soon he was talking as before.

"I couldn't imagine you not feeling any bitterness though. There must have been some enmity."

"We did at first. As expected, we were skeptical when we met you. But in the end, we turned out to be the best of friends."

"Though, I recall that Flora was especially slow to warm up to me…" Corrin let out a nervous laugh.

"Yeah. She had her reasons, but she never shared them with me. I think it had something to do with our position as the chieftain's daughters… Though now the two of you have become rather close don't you think?"

"Yes. We are rather good friends now."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"H-huh? W-what do you mean?"

"You know what I'm talking about! You've spent quite a bit of time with Flora since we were younger…"

"That's because she often wasn't in a good mood. I wanted to cheer her up. I now happen to know the cause of it."

"Even after you became friends, you naturally tended to talk to her. I wonder what happened between you two…" Her happy face adopted a mischievous smile with questions cued.

"Nothing, I assure you! W-what's gotten into you?"

She lightly chuckled; her face relaxed into her earlier gentle smiling. "I think the two of you are rather cute together."

Corrin blushed. "Wha- Where did that come from?!"

"I honestly think so! Nowadays, whenever she spends time with you, she's the happiest I've seen her since we left the Ice Tribe. You seem to enjoy spending time with her as well."

"T-that qualifies as cute together?"

"You haven't seen it from my perspective yet." She hummed happily.

"I obviously haven't! I haven't seen her really express herself in years… It's like she refuses to drop the formalities and her position and just talk to me like she used to…" His tone dropped, Felicia's mood dropped in turn.

"I noticed. I tried asking her about it, and she gave me a flimsy excuse. I can't tell you much more, but I know that she does care for you, Corrin, in her own way."

"I suppose…" Corrin's voice trailed off, leaving a contemplative silence.

A few minutes passed in this silence. Suddenly, Felicia's face lit up and she started bubbling with excitement. Corrin was surprised by the sudden outburst of giddiness.

"D-did you think of something nice?"

Felicia nodded vigorously. "I bet Flora's acting that way becau-"

A knock on the door cut her off before she could pose her idea.

Felicia stood up and opened the door. "Coming! Ahh! Lady Camilla, good day!"

"Hello, dear. I need to speak to Corrin."

"Ahh. Please, come in." The maid stepped aside.

The purple-haired princess stepped into the room and took a quick look around. "My. This is a small room."

"It's comfortable enough; it's no smaller than an average room." Corrin responded. "What can I help you with, Camilla?"

"I've arranged a meeting with father tomorrow, and I haven't told him the reason. This is your opportunity to apologize."

"Thank you, Camilla! I owe you again."

She chuckled. "Anything for you, dear." She turned to face the maid: "Felicia."

"Yes, milady?"

"Fetch a new pot of tea for Corrin. The one you have is cold by now."

"Ahh! Right away. My apologies, Lord Corrin, I talked for too long!" She took the pot and walked out.

"The tea was cold?"

"Of course. You were talking with Felicia for some time now."

"It was a rather long ta-…You were listening?" Corrin froze at the prospect of his sister spying on him.

"Nonsense. I tried to tell you earlier, but you were talking. While I could have interrupted at any time, I know how much you enjoy good company, and you two were happily chatting away. I left then came back now." Corrin breathed a sigh of relief.

"That being said, I heard some interesting things when I was outside the door…"

Corrin's back immediately straightened as chills ran up his spine.

"W-what did you hear?"

"Hmmhmm. You still enjoy daydreaming. And what really piqued my interest…You're interested in the other girl, Flora, it seems…" A mischievous smirk crossed her face.

"C-Camilla! She's no more than a really good friend!"

"Ahh…You're more grown up than thought…pursuing love even while in isolation…"

Corrin was unusually red at this point. His priorities were on bettering himself. He certainly read romance novels once in a while for entertainment, but the subject matter was not something he thought about on a regular basis. The past ten minutes was the first time he was seriously thought about romance – even if it was dealing with teasing.

"H-honestly, C-Camilla! I've done no such thing!"

"Alright, alright." She let out a light chuckle. "Enough teasing. I must go for now. I'll talk to you soon, Corrin."

Camilla strode out, continuing to smile quietly. "Hmmhmm. Corrin's growing up…how cute… hmmhmm…"


	5. Chapter 5: The Old Past and the New Task

The following morning, Corrin arrived at Garon's chambers; Camilla was waiting outside.

"Good morning, Corrin."

"Good morning, Camilla."

"Are you ready to enter? It's almost time."

"Yes…"

Camilla moved to knock on the door, yielding a muffled: "Enter." The two entered the room. Light poured in, illuminating the rather dim room. Garon was sitting at a desk on the far side of the room, writing to the light of an ornate but small candelabra; his battle-axe leaning on the wall nearby.

"I have arrived for the meeting, Father." Camilla announced as she bowed to the king.

Garon turned to face the group. "Camilla. What is it that you ne-" He was now facing Corrin.

"…You. What business do you have?"

"I...I have come to ask for your forgiveness." Corrin took a deep bow to hide his grimace. "I have seen the error in my actions," Corrin lied through his teeth. "And I wish for another opportunity to prove myself as a worthy prince of Nohr." He straightened himself up and looked at Garon.

The king stood up and grabbed his axe. "…You have disobeyed a direct order from me…normally, the punishment is death." He walked over to Corrin and held the axe up to his neck. Corrin tried his best to not flinch; he was not successful. "…However, as you are my son…I will give you some leeway. But make no mistake." He moved the axe closer to Corrin's neck. "If you fail the next task I give, you will not have any more chances. I do not need a son who cannot carry on the legacy." He finally lowered the axe and sat back down and began writing in an open book.

"There is a deep fissure in the center of the land referred to as the Bottomless Canyon; it serves a natural border between Hoshido and Nohr. There are reports regarding an old abandoned Hoshidan fort there. Within the next few days, I want you to venture there and confirm if that fort is indeed abandoned; you may bring your retainers. Now depart from me." The two bowed and left silently. Camilla closed the door behind them and they walked off.

Corrin exhaled deeply. "Well. That could have gone much worse."

"Very much so. I'm glad Father has given you a second chance; he hasn't been this generous in a long time."

"I can't imagine him being nicer."

"I know it's hard to see, but take my word for it. You can ask Leo about it if you wish to know more; he spent even more time with him than I."

"Okay..." Corrin shook his head in disbelief that Garon used to have an even kinder side. "I probably will… But for now, I'll notify Felicia and Gunter." And so the prince did - they were to leave in two days.

The entourage had prepared to leave the following day. This left Corrin some extra time to rest, so he ended up wandering the halls of Castle Krakenburg. As he was walking, he heard a bubbling voice echoing down the corridor he was in.

"Leo! Leo!"

"Hello, Elise. What can I do for you?"

"I had heard from Xander that Father..."

The two engaged in conversation as Corrin moved closer.

"Leo? Elise?"

"Brother?"

"Corrin!" Elise jumped to hug Corrin.

"Haha. Hello you two."

"I thought you would be asleep by now. You're leaving rather early tomorrow from what I understand."

"I wanted to walk around a little before I went off; I'm a bit restless."

"Well, you can listen to a story to help you sleep! Leo was about to tell me a little about Father when we were younger!"

"Well…that's rather convenient… I wanted to ask a little about him anyway."

"Come on, come on, Leo! Even Corrin wants to hear some more about him!"

"Alright, alright. I'll tell you both a bit about Father." Leo directed the royals to a small parlor where they could talk more comfortably and began once they settled. "Okay. Father was once a much kinder man than he was now; he was surprisingly gently despite his appearance."

"Father was gentle? I can't see that."

"Haha. Neither can I, Elise."

"I assure you he was. In fact, he doted on us. I remember that he used to give me piggyback rides when I asked."

"No way. I want to meet this Father…"

"In addition to doting us, he was quite the ladies' man as well. He regaled all sorts of love stories to visitors."

"No…Father, a ladies' man?"

"A sharp contrast, right? He was incredibly charismatic and knew how to interact with people of all kinds of mindsets. Our mothers were all charmed!"

"Ahh. I had forgotten. We're all half-siblings if I remember correctly."

Leo nodded. "In fact he was so charismatic that other suitors eventually came to blows and schemes; some even betrayed their own family to further their own causes…" His expression was distant, as was Elise's. He collected himself "Ahem. Father kept all the scuffling to a minimum…but all that charisma and love disappeared when Queen Arete passed away. He grew cold and distant to us and the world around him. Potential concubines and suitors once under his control rampaged amongst themselves to vie for higher positions close to him. Any feeling that he has left is buried deep in the recesses of his mind."

"No way! That was due to Queen Arete dying? Elise asked.

"Yes."

"I…didn't realize he had changed so much… I only met him once, and Elise has only known what Father had become." Corrin responded.

"It's a rather extreme change, but it was noticeable the more time he spent with Arete."

"Was she a good person - this is the first time I'm hearing of her."

"Really? Well, I won't say that she was a good mother or wife, but she made father happy... Enough of the gloom! I've told you much about Father now. You two should get some sleep; especially you, Corrin. You've got quite a journey ahead." The three said their goodbyes and departed for the evening.

The following day, the prince and his retainers departed for the Canyon. Once again they were accompanied by the bleak wastelands on their journey. The three talked amongst themselves to ward off boredom and idleness; bad jokes from Felicia often floated around and met with equally bad jokes from Corrin. It was four days before the entourage reached the Canyon.

"We have arrived, Lord Corrin." The war veteran stated.

The canyon was far from friendly. The harsh blue-grey stones pointed in all directions like spears made of stone. Clouds darker than the gloomiest Nohrian day loomed overhead, while thunder and lightning shot around high above at irregular intervals. Large, old, wooden bridges sprawled across precipices serving as the only means of crossing the chasms.

"This is the Bottomless Canyon…? I'm getting a bad feeling from this place…" Corrin dismounted his horse. Felicia followed suit.

"Are you sure that it's not just the bad weather?" Felicia responded.

"Hush, Felicia – enough of the joking already." Gunter gently chided. "Milord, the canyon's been known for periods of violent storming. Luckily, it appears to be rather calm now, but let's not take chances. Let us accomplish our goal and depart."

"I agree…but it looks like it will be rather easy. Look! That must be the fort King Garon was referring to." Corrin pointed to a large fortified pagoda towards the center of the series of precipices. It was the only color for miles, painting the gloomy scenery with reds and whites that would have done so more brilliantly had the elements not taken their toll. Inside, the air was musty and damp, and there was a thin layer of dust covering half of any furnishings present. Any other kind of decoration had worn away from age.

"It's…old. It doesn't look like anyone's been here in a long time." The maid commented.

"On the contrary, it's occupied at all times." A voice echoed around them.

"What!?" Gunter reacted, raising the lance he carried. His eyes darted around, searching for the source only to be met with empty walls.

"Okay… We'll leave right now…" Corrin, exercising caution, prompted his retainers to exit quickly.

Once the party exited the fort, they made a beeline to the Nohrian partitions where they had tied down their horses…Or they would have, if not for a robed figure emerging from the shadows of nearby trees to block their path, a long beard hung from his broad chin. The rest of his features were obscured by his hood and cloak.

"Wha-?! Who are you!?" Corrin called out.

"…" The man drew out an inhumanly silver katana; they felt his stare bore holes into them.

"Move aside! We're not here to fight – we were just leaving."

"…"

"He said 'aside,' man!" Gunter tightened his grip on his lance.

"…" The figure severed one of the ropes to the bridge with his blade.

"You Hoshidans drive us out, and now you aren't letting us go? Are you daft, man?!"

"Let's just find another way around, Gunter."

"…" The hooded man dashed to block any means of escape from another angle.

"Tch. I don't think he's going to let us go so easily, milord."

"W-what should we do?" Felicia asked.

"Get ready to fight, both of you." Gunter replied. "This won't be ea-"

"I believe we told you to leave."

The voice from inside the fort boomed around them. A single man emerged from treetops primed at the group below.

"Hoshidan ninja! This isn't good...! There are bound to be more!"

"You!" The ninja pointed at the hooded figure. "What are you doing here!? No other troops have been deployed!"

"…" The hooded man looked at the katana in his hand and then back to the man in the trees. He drew another katana, a noticeably shorter one – a kodachi, and flung it at the ninja.

"We're under attack! Subdue them!" The sounds of rustling branches echoed around them as ninja scattered and the hooded man effortlessly jumped after them.

"Now's our chance, milord! Let's escape!"

"…" As the three began to run, the hooded man broke pursuit from the ninja and immediately changed his focus to them, barring their path once more.

"Again!? Rrgh, out of our way!" Gunter tried to run the man down with his lance, but was blocked with just a single swing from the bearded man. "W-what?! …In all… my years…"

"…Yes… you'll do fine…"

"What?!"

The hooded man swung at Gunter, who parried with much strain. Corrin drew the Ganglari and swung to defend his mentor. His attack was met with two swift strokes of the figure's katana, throwing Corrin back. Felicia drew three knives and threw them at the man, but also met no such luck as it was swiftly parried. His attention never shifted from Gunter during those exchanges.

"Yes…yes…Hahaha…You'll do fine indeed." He then grabbed the old veteran by the collar of his armor with an inhuman strength, ran off the edge of the nearest cliff, and plunged the both of them into the abyss below.

"Lord Corrin! Flee!" His voice trailed off.

"Gunter? Gunter! GUNTER!" He ran to the edge.

"…Uhh, Lord Corrin…!" His gaze was fixed on the inky darkness; he didn't hear Felicia call him."

"Corrin!"

"…!"

"Corrin! We have company, again…!"

Corrin turned to face Felicia. They had been surrounded by a handful of ninja; there were bound to be more around them. There was no way easy out of this situation. The ninja had drawn their weapons and were watching for any more hostile movement. Corrin stood up, retrieved the Ganglari and sheathed it, and presented it before the Hoshidans. Faint pulses, and a wyvern's cry echoed in the distance.

"We surrender..."


	6. Chapter 6: The Lady and the Cold Maiden

Flora had arrived at Castle Krakenburg along with Jakob. Five days had passed since Corrin's departure for the Bottomless Canyon There wasn't much to do, as the castle was already fully staffed. She had made several rounds around the entire premise, asking if assistance was required.

"…Honestly…This is the first time I've had so much free time…"

"This is rare. The impeccable maid is at a loss."

"J-Jakob! You startled me. Unable to find much else to do either?"

"Not at all. I've kept plenty busy preparing for when Lord Corrin returns. My tea brews and cooking skills are more than ready for whatever he craves!"

"Are you saying that your buttling skills were not worthy for someone of Lord Corrin's caliber?"

"Tch. Don't put words in my mouth."

"You implied it; it's not my fault. But who was it who was frantic about not being able to go with Lord Corrin? Hmm? You could barely do anything for two days."

"Nonsense! I wasn't prepared for his long-awaited departure into the world. I was overcome with an intense bout of joy for him."

"Come off it. I was more excited, and I still completed my tasks better than you, even when you finally collected yourself."

"Yes. Yes. Of course the childhood friend is more excited than the _loyal butler of sixteen years who helped raise him_."

"Yes. And you know exac-

"E-excuse me." A voice called out from behind them.

"Huh, what did you need?"

"K-King Garon has sent for the both of you. Please, go to his quarters as soon as you can."

"Thank you. We will go immediately." Flora gestured to dismiss the servant.

The two turned heel and walked off to the King's quarters.

"Is it finally time we receive our orders?"

"Most likely. But, Lord Corrin has been gone for a few days. What could he possibly ask of us…?"

They soon reached the room. Outside, they heard a voice from beyond the thick doors.

"Ahhahaha…Yes…!" Flora and Jakob exchanged nervous glances. "It shall be done…!"

Flora knocked on the door.

"Yes, Anan-…who is it?"

"It is Flora and Jakob, Corrin's retainers. You called for us?"

"I did. Enter."

The two entered and bowed deeply.

"Were we interrupting you?"

"No. You were not. Now, to the matter at hand. I've received a report that Corrin has been captured by Hoshidan forces."

"What!?"

"What happened?"

"Corrin was sent to scout an old Hoshidan fortress at the Bottomless Canyon. He successfully retrieved the information, but I understand that he met resistance and was captured. However only Gunter was not present; it was understood that he fell into the chasm– he was nowhere to be found."

"Old man…"Jakob grimaced.

"I want both of you to go and rescue him. Leave today if possible."

"B-but, King Garon, wouldn't a small force be more appropriate…? We are trained to fight, but just the two of us…?" Jakob asked.

"No. Corrin had his test, and he passed, but was overwhelmed by an unexpected factor. Now it is your turn to test your mettle, and support him when such factors have disabled him. I will not have inept retainers serve royalty."

"But, my liege, how are we to find Lord Corrin? We have no idea where he has been taken to."

"Use what you can to find him. This is part of your task. Now depart."

"At once." Flora bowed. Jakob followed suit.

"You, child of the Ice Tribe. A word."

"Yes, milord?"

"I want to remind you of your task... If Corrin happens to..."

...

Flora left and prepared for the journey.

"…let's see…I've got extra knives…a new staff…food's by the horses…"

"Have you packed vulneraries?" Flora jumped slightly.

"A-ahh… yes, I have, Lady Camilla. How may I be of assistance to you?"

"Hmm…easily startled huh…" She said under her breath.

"E-excuse me?"

"It's nothing. Now. I've heard that you and Jakob are to go and rescue Corrin."

"Yes, milady. But…I'm not sure where to begin looking."

"Allow me to assist you with that."

"Milady?"

"I was the one who issued that report to King Garon; I was following him to make sure he was safe. I know which direction they headed."

"Wait…that means you were right there…"

"I was."

"B-but y-you didn't help him…? You were there, and you didn't help him…"

"I couldn't, dear…as much as I wanted to gut the swine who captured him…"

"W-why?" Flora was visibly agitated; the room slowly grew colder and colder.

"I couldn't dear. I couldn't." The color in her eyes dull for a second, and her lips twitched.

"Why, Lady Camilla!? Why!? Corrin's your brother! Why didn't you help him? I can't accept that you abandoned him for no good reason! You might as well have sentenced him and Felicia to die!" She became more animated the more emotional she got. She was overwhelmed by the lack of concern.

"I-I…I can't intervene with Father's orders, be it my own or someone else's…"

"That's your excuse?! To abandon your own brother because of your father; a brother you love dearly and a merciless father who would purposefully leave all his children to the hounds! Gods, if anything...if they were to..."

"And what would you know of my family, maid?!"

"That's…I…I…"

"He is my father, and I listen out of obligation, but most of all fear. You do not know what evils I've seen simply by being his daughter! If I could, in a heartbeat I would lay waste to Corrin's captors; my lovely Marzia would have feasted! But, Father…" Her face paled and she started quivering slightly.

"Is he really… that cruel…?"

"…I have no love for him…for all I care, he is a different man wearing his skin."

"I-… I have stepped too far out of line..." The cold air warmed as Flora composed herself. She bowed deeply in apology. "Forgive me. I have brought out unpleasant memories; my emotions got the better of me. This is uncultured behavior for someone who is the retainer to a prince of Nohr."

"… It's fine, dear…" Camilla exhaled deeply. The color returned to her face "Your anger is not without cause. Plus, something tells me you're not ambling through the countryside either if you have the gall to talk to royalty like that."

"Yes... It isn't easy, milady. Again, I apologize for my incredibly rude behavior."

"It's okay; I said it was fine. Besides, a little brashness keeps things interesting, no?" Camilla's expression softened into a gentle smile. "Though do remember that we're not like Corrin, letting you speak so informally very often, hmm? You've been extraordinarily lucky today. I admit I'm rather lax with conduct myself, but I demand respect: as you would an older sibling."

"Yes, I understand."

"Well. Now that our squabble is settled. Let's get to it." Camilla pulled out a small map of the territory surrounding the Canyon. "The location where Corrin and Felicia was captured was around the northeastern section of the Canyon. The captors traveled light to the east. I imagine a large camp is no more than a day away."

"Then…we've lost him…there's no way we can make it over there on horseback."

"Then how about wyvern-back…?"

It wasn't before long until Flora and Jakob were soaring high in the air; the wind lightly whooshing. Flora flew with Camilla while Jakob flew with one of her retainers, Beruka - another wyvern knight.

"L-lady Camilla! I-is this what you go through all the time!?"

"Haha. Yes. Exhilarating isn't it?"

"S-something along those lines, y-yes!" Flora tightly clung to the saddle.

"Relax, relax, Flora, dear. Marzia will take care of us; she won't let us fall easily." The wyvern let out a low growl in agreement.

"I-if you two say so…! ...M-may I ask something?"

"Of course. What's the matter?"

"W-why train to fly a wyvern?"

"Hmm?"

"I-I'm well aware that- waaugh!" The wyvern swerved to the left, avoiding a large air current; she stabilized herself quickly.

"Hmmhmm. You were saying?"

"I-I know that Nohrian royalty trains as a soldier w-would, but why a wyvern knight?"

"I suppose a story is due - we have a bit further to fly. As you now know, I didn't have the most pleasant youth. One day I ran through the castle, wanting to get away from it all, even for a second. I stumbled upon Marzia here in a corral. It was the first time I had seen a wyvern that close. I stood there for the longest time, just staring, and then she just nudged me onto her back. She dashed out onto a small landing and leapt off to stretch her wings. I just clung onto Marzia's neck as she swept through the air; I was terrified but enraptured all the same. I came back day after day, just to experience any ounce of care I could from her. I ended up training to be a wyvern knight to justify being with her indefinitely."

"I-it's not every day you hear many people wanting to get closer to wyverns!"

"Truly. Most people cower at the sight of one; they can be especially nasty when provoked. But you're never nasty towards me, darling. So sweet." Camilla petted the left side of the beast's neck who returned an affectionate growl.

"Now dear, we need to fly slightly north - can't have us be killed by the thunder clouds above the Canyon, yes?" Camilla turned to face her retainer. "Beruka! North!" Her voice boomed across the skies - it was quite the contrast to her usually soft tone.

The group swerved northward - the Canyon was in sight, though still quite a distance away.

"So it's time for a story from you, Flora. I don't hear much about you in general. Tell me more about yourself."

"M-me? Uhh...well..."

"Oh! Why don't you tell me a little about your time in the Ice Tribe. I've yet to fully explore your culture."

"W-well. Most of us are educated to the age of fifteen - we are taught the basics of history, reading writing, and some self-defense. Afterwards, we often take up manual work - without proper care, it is difficult to survive in our territory, even to those most accustomed to it. It's not subsistence living; many of the folk often end up working as artisans, using ice to practice sculpting and carving. Felicia and I, as the chieftain's daughters, were to inherit the position - I was to take it as I am the elder - or work in politics in some manner. But...well...I was taken to be Corrin's retainer instead."

"I see. Have you adjusted well?"

"E-enough. I'm rather happy."

"How did you come to be taken?"

"...Have you heard of the Ice Tribe's rebellion against the king's control...?"

Camilla sighed deeply. "My suspicions were correct then…"

"Then you know…"

"Yes. I do. I overheard your conversation with Father earlier. Tell me more. I want to hear you say it."

"B-but…!"

"Father's not here. I am."

"Milady…!"

"Hush. It's okay." Her tone was very gentle and motherly. "You can tell me. Beruka and Jakob are far over there. It's only the two of us here..." Flora grimaced. Tears welled up in her eyes. Flora grabbed onto Camilla's shoulders and rested her head on her back. "It's difficult, I know…"

"Milady… I...I...have to…"


	7. Chapter 7: Remembrance of the Light

It was about a day before Corrin and Felicia arrived at a large Hoshidan camp; their hands were bound taut and were led by a single soldier while ninja silently stalked behind in the shadows. Beige tents of all sizes sprawled along the grounds with weapon racks, crates, and barrels scattered everywhere. The camp was large, but not very active: a small number of soldiers roamed about, tidying and training the day away. The two soon arrived at a far more ornate tent - guards were posted around what looked to be a commander's tent. One of the ninja following the group entered before them.

"Bring the prisoners in." A stern voice echoed out. Corrin and Felicia were ushered in. Atop an elevated platform, a man in a strikingly red kimono sat on his knees. A well-defined face and strong physique denoted his skill. If his physical presence wasn't imposing enough, a set of crimson armor was mounted on a nearby stand while a katana with white wrappings in an equally white scabbard rested on his left – handle facing forward with the blade pointed away. His long brown hair fell behind him in an array; from behind, you could say it resembled a lion's mane.

"So. You are the ones who trespassed on our grounds. A noble and his servant no less!"

"It was not my intention to trespass."

"Bah. It was. Why else would you enter a Hoshidan fort except for some scheme?"

"N-no! Not at all. I was only sent to scout, nothing more!" The man seemed to take note of what he said.

"Hmph. Then, if you were sent on a 'scouting mission,' why did you attack our men? With a double agent no less." He grabbed the sword on his left.

"The one who attacked your ninja was not on our side! He engaged us as well, preventing us from leaving!"

"A likely story…"

"It's the truth!"

"What proof do you have?"

"I…don't have any. You have my word though that I did not intend to engage your soldiers, and the man is not affiliated with us."

"That's not much proof; your word, I cannot trust." He rested his sword on the ground. "But of my men, I do. Their report matches your account. That, and my intuition is rather good for this sort of thing." All the tension left Corrin's body at once; his body bowed forward. "Tell me one thing though, noble."

His spine again tensed. "Y-yes?"

"Why not lie? You could have done so easily."

"I-I didn't see any reason to lie. I want my retainer and I to leave unscathed. In fact, our chances of survival decrease if I lie."

"That stands to reason. Unfortunately, you won't be leaving our company anytime soon. You've trespassed on our territory and were involved in an attack on my men, regardless of intention." The man turned over his shoulder. "Lock them up."

"At once." A soldier stepped out from behind a corner. A look of shock crossed his face when he turned to face Corrin and Felicia. "I-it's you!"

"You know them?"

"I do, my liege! That man is the one who saved my life. The woman is his retainer." Corrin's eyes widened; apparently, this was the man Corrin had spared back in Castle Krakenburg.

"He is the man that spared you?"

"Yes. I was supposed to have died. However, as you know, I was spared, tended to by healers, and secretly released by the order of the crown prince. All of which was prompted by the actions of his younger brother; he is that younger brother."

"Isn't that a little too convenient…?" Corrin said under his breath.

"You're a prince?!... Tch. We have a problem then…" The man sighed deeply. "We've just captured a Nohrian royal…" He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'll handle that issue later. There is one matter I must deal with immediately. Tell me your name, princeling. I wish to thank you properly."

"E-excuse me!?" Aren't you supposed to lock me up and have me tried for trespassing or espionage or what have you rather than thanking me?!"

"That is true. You may be my foe, but you've unknowingly done me a great service. This man, which you have saved, is the relative to a close ally of mine. We had presumed him dead for a while; about a month and a half as of today."

"Err…" Corrin was dumbfounded. It was never really wise to reveal much about oneself to an enemy...but he was in no place to decline either. "R-right…My name is Corrin."

"Then, Corrin, yo-…" His pause was unnaturally long. "Yo-…you…"

The man's stern expression broke: His eyes widened and his mouth dropped. He stumbled onto his feet, knocking around a few things near him.

"I-i-it can't be…! Glimpses of recognition started to shimmer in his eyes. Corrin and Felicia shifted back.

"M-milord!" The warrior moved to support his commander.

"Y-you! Corrin, it's you! Hahaha! It's really you!" The man pushed the other aside and dashed forward to embrace Corrin.

"E-e-excuse me?!"

"I've missed you so much! I thought we lost you forever! This is…!"

"Wait, wait! What?! Slow down!"

"O-of course! Release Corrin and his retainer!" The soldier moved quickly and cut the rope bindings.

"No, no, no! Who are you?!"

"C-Corri-"

"I've never met you before!"

"It's me, your brother, Ryoma…"

"Brother?! W-wh- I'm _Nohrian_ royalty!"

"N-no! You are not, Corrin! You are Hoshidan!"

"I am a Nohrian! What drivel are you spouting?!" Ryoma pulled back. "…I see…" He picked up his weapon and turned to address the soldier. "Prepare some horses!"

"At once."

"Corrin. You are to come with me. There is someone you have to meet. Everything will become clear then."

"I still don't have much choice in the matter, do I?" Corrin eyed the katana in Ryoma's hand.

"Not at all. Now, prepare. We make for the capital shortly."

The entourage departed. Corrin's head buzzed with confusion. He thought it was impossible that this man was his brother; he was Nohrian through and through. It was about a day's journey – the dead of night by the time they arrived. Unlike their arrival at Windmire, the scenery was brighter and more vibrant accompanied by the soft hum of life as they moved through the streets; a few people poked their heads out to see the arrivals. The castle-town was built around a square, as opposed to the winding streets of Windmire, centered on the castle; the houses were made of red, brown, and white woods. The soft green grassy path leading to the castle was lined with s _akura_ trees – rivers crawled around them, forcing bridges to be built over the landscape. The castle itself was atop a lush, hilly plateau. A grand combination of pagodas and _tenshukaku_ burst into the sky with vibrant yellows, reds, and whites, scratching the clouds above _._ Waterfalls spewed out from rocks, likely from natural springs within the mountain, into lakes far below.

"Wow…it's beautiful here..." Felicia commented.

"Isn't it? It's even more so during the day." Ryoma replied. "Welcome to Castle Shirasagi."

The party arrived at the stables, dismounted, and entered the ornate structure. There wasn't much to see in the darkness, but it was still clearly grand. A woman was there to greet them – Ryoma stepped up first. Two guards with torches flanked her.

"Welcome home, Ryoma."

"Hello, Mother. Have you been well?"

"Indeed. Even better now that I received your message. The others will arrive tomorrow."

"That is good, they will be happy to see him as well."

"Ahh! Is that him, behind you!?"

"Yes."

"Let me see him!" She ran up to the young prince; it was her turn to embrace Corrin.

The woman had long flowing black hair; she tied her hair directly on the back of her head into a long ponytail. A tiara with the visage of the sun was threaded behind her head using that ponytail. She wore a thick regal white kimono – a large white cloak with a flared collar hung around her shoulders. As she approached Corrin and Felicia, her fair features became abundantly more visible.

"C-Corrin. Sh-she…!"

"…!"

"You're a spitting image of her!" Felicia took several double-takes.

"Haha…I can hardly believe it…it's been sixteen years since I last saw you. I've missed you, Corrin." The woman smiled gently and placed her hands on Corrin's face. Her light red irises that scanned him teared. "You've grown so much. So handsome now!"

"W-w-huh?! N-…!" While he enjoy the attention and compliments, this was incredibly uncomfortable for him.

"Hmm…it seems like you still don't like to wear shoes…" she said as she peered down at Corrin's feet. "No worse for wear though." She beamed at him. In his mind he denied it, but every fiber of his being was screaming out that this Hoshidan lady in front of him was his mother.

"Th-this is impossible…impossible…my mother… died at childbirth…"

"Hmm? Oh dear…" She sighed deeply as something caught her attention.

"Yes, Mother. It appears to be the case. Do you have a clue?"

"Quite clearly. We shall remedy your condition immediately. Corrin, follow me." She walked off into the distance, towards a long spiral stairwell. Corrin unconsciously began following her; his distressed mind latched onto the strangely familiar gentleness. They ascended to the top floor. The way the fire bowls were arranged, the manner of the tapestries, aesthetics of the architecture: it was almost identical to the throne room in Castle Krakenburg except using Hoshidan styles. However, rather than have the throne openly displayed, it was secluded in a smaller space within the grand affair.

"We're almost there. Just a little farther." She gestured for the two guarding her: "Please go ahead and light the throne room." Once they had entered, the woman had stepped onto the throne's platform and pointed at the throne with her other hand on her hip. "Sit down, Corrin." It was humorously out of place for Felicia, who stifled her laughter: a high ranking official of Hoshido telling a Nohrian prince to sit on the throne as if a stool he were to be lectured upon.

"Y-yes…" _This is only getting stranger and stranger…_ Corrin thought to himself as he sat down in the grand throne.

A sharp, searing pain rushed through his head as he did so. The back of his head felt as if a large drum was being pounded next to his ear. His eyes felt as if rocks were slowly being embedded into them. Corrin grabbed his head in a vain attempt to ease the pain. Fragments of images surfaced in his mind; they blurred in and out but no clear image could be seen.

"Ahh?! AAHHHRGHHH!" He struggled to stand.

"Shhh. Shhh. It's okay. The pain will stop momentarily." The woman put her hands on Corrin's arm. Eventually, the pain dulled and Corrin calmed.

"W-what...!? What did... you do to me?!"

"The throne has magical properties; there is a powerful enchantment that reveals the truth of those who sit on it. It's mostly harmless."

"Harmless…? That…hurt quite a bit…" He heaved slowly.

"Worry not. Everything will become clear to you soon, Corrin."

" _Corrin…Corrin…Corrin"_ her voice quietly repeated. The image of the woman, his mother, flashed vividly. His head lurched at the sudden prelude to new information.

"Ahh! Corrin! Are you alright!?" Felicia rushed up to him. Corrin was stumbling badly – far worse than Felicia on her worst days.

"Felicia…! I…! I remember! Gahh! Queen…Mikoto…! Mother!"

"Move him to his room! Quickly!" the woman commanded.

"Corrin!" Felicia called. It was the last thing he hear before the world around him faded.

His slumber was restless. Corrin kicked about in his sleep while occasionally yelling out. Sweat poured profusely from his body. In his mind, the fragments aligned; the blanks of his youth filled with them and repeated over and over and over. Dreams of laughing in the sunlight, thoughts of a family long-lost to magicks until now, a sense of peace in his mother's arms, all of these erupted forth and flooded his mind.

Finally, one scene played out: he saw a man in silver Hoshidan armor being barraged with arrows – a white katana coursing with lightning in his right hand. He crumpled to the ground.

"You disappoint me, Sumeragi… I had expected better from you…you're too… trusting." A figure stepped into view. "Hmmm?" He wore dark plate and his hair was white but still had a majority of color. A wicked axe hung from his hand, bathed red from combat. It was Garon, and he stared at Corrin. "Haha. I see, Sumeragi. Unfortunately, your death is in vain. No one will come and save him."

"N-no…!" Sumeragi called out. His hand reached out towards Garon.

"Hoho. You're still alive. Tenacious as always…hmm… yes…!" A wide unnatural grin crossed his face. His pupils dilated as he took a deep breath. "Ha. I believe _he_ will have a use for you."

"W-what are you talking about?!" He hacked up blood and struggled trying to stand up.

"Yes…yes! Hahaha! Yes!" He raised his battleaxe. "Farewell, Sumeragi. I shall see you at a later time."

"Gar-" _Thwomp._

"Now…for you." He reached out, magic flaring from his hand, and grabbed Corrin. The visions stopped.


	8. Chapter 8: A Foreign Home

**A/N:**

 **1\. GACK! Alternate versions are hard. (T.T) I think this is going rather well though.**

 **2\. The next update will take more than two weeks - new ideas and work and all that stuff.**

 **3\. More foreign terms! Hooray!**

 **Hope you all enjoy the new chapter.**

* * *

"Wake up..." A familiar voice, filled with worry, called out and echoed throughout the darkness. "Please… wake up…" It was irregular and occasionally overlapped itself. "Wake up…"

"…Gods… this is… too familiar…" Corrin called out. His mind was groggy, body unusually achy, and head heavy.

"Corrin! Corrin, are you finally awake?"

Corrin strained to sit up and open his eyes. When he managed to, he saw the peach-haired maid standing up, looking over him, wearing green Hoshidan garb. He nodded slowly.

"Looks like you need some help." She straightened herself. "It's been some time…pardon me if it's a bit much." _Oh boy,_ Corrin thought. Felicia raised her hand. A cool breeze emitted from the palm as she began moving towards Corrin's cheek.

"Ack!" Her touch was icy cold; not impossibly unbearable, but still incredibly uncomfortable – perfect for rousing sleepy princes. "Okay, I'm good now!" The cold had shocked his mind and body awake. Felicia quickly withdrew her hand. "Thank you." He eased himself onto his feet. Felicia supported him until he stood on his own. "How long was I asleep?"

"Almost two days…"

"Two days…?"

"Mhmm. How are you feeling?"

"Like someone stepped on my head…repeatedly"

"Shall it treat it?" Felicia raised her hand again.

"N-no. I think it'll pass quickly."

Felicia gestured to the doorway. "Then, I'll go inform your mo-… ahem; Queen Mikoto. Don't strain yourself."

"Okay. Okay. Don't worry." He stretched his arms.

Felicia gave out an approving look and left, leaving Corrin to take in his foreign, yet vaguely familiar, surroundings. It was a sizable but undecorated room painted white. The bed was low and modestly adorned in dark blue and red sheets. The ceiling was high and had crossing, red, wooden beams as support. The floor was dressed with an elegant and elaborate rug; it had a few toys and sheets of paper strewn about it. Across the room, next to a circular window, a set of chairs and a table with a grid-styled board with shogi pieces littering the table, an empty wooden box lay next to that mess. "So… this is my room...? Gods, this is messy…"

A short time passed with various rumbles and thumps coming from the room. In the end, Corrin stood in the middle of the room, a triumphant look in his face. The room was spotless and everything was in order.

"Ahh." Mikoto called out as she walked in. Felicia and another servant followed suit. "I've waited years to see you clean your room!"

"Good morning, M-Mo-…Mother" _Mother_. It was bittersweet.

She smiled at his greeting. "Good morning, Corrin. How are you feeling?"

"I'm better… but… I…"

"You feel as if you don't belong?"

Corrin was taken aback. "Y-yes… That's exactly it. How did you know?"

She chuckled. "Mother's intuition. I can understand exactly what you're going through." Mikoto placed her hands on Corrin's shoulders. "I'll talk about it later. For now, know that you have a home here."

"O-okay."

Corrin began to lift his hand, but hesitated for a second. "Hmm? What's the matter, dear?" He reached out and embraced his mother who, while surprised, quickly returned the gesture with a satisfied smile.

"Now. Go take a bath. You need one." She gently nudged him away. "Take this though." She gestured to the other servant who presented a folded, dark-blue _kosode_ and a matching grey _haori_. "You are Hoshidan royalty; you should look the part on occasion."

"Thank you." Corrin took the clothing and stared quizzically and the outfit. Felicia took note of that. Something dawned on him as he said this. "Wait… Before I go, where is my garb and sword?" He was wearing a simple white robe; the Hoshidan crest intricately sewn on the left sleeve.

Felicia raised her hand. "Oh, I've been keeping them with me since you were asleep. I'll bring it to you."

"Please, there is no need for armor or weapons in our walls." Mikoto waved dismissively.

"P-pardon me, Mother. I'm used to wearing light armor and a weapon around. If you say no, then I won't, but I would feel more comfortable having it somewhere close by."

"There's no reason to have it either. It's special to you then?"

"Quite, Mother."

"Then feel free to do so if it puts you at ease. Now, hurry and clean up. I want to have a good meal with you."

On that note, Corrin bowed to Mikoto, and the two parties went their separate ways. Corrin went and bathed himself up. Upon finishing, he, repeatedly, tried to change into the _kosode_ to no avail.

…

"Uh-huh…"

"Then the belt goes around again, and you tie a tiny bow! Now put on this coat… Presto!" She beamed.

"I get it. Simple. Looks and feels good too."

"Oh! Here." Felicia produced a sheathed _tanto_ from her _obi_ , inadvertently revealing her own daggers in the process, and handed it to Corrin. "Keep this with you. It's generally safe here, but I never go without having something – just in case. I've heard the other royals here do the same, despite your mother's protests."

Corrin took the knife. "Then what about you?" He gestured to Felicia's weapons.

" _I_ am your loyal retainer…!" She tried to curtsy and ended up stumbling a little, but she caught herself. "These aren't designed for curtsying…"

"Isn't it just you…?"

"Oh hush, you." She lightly swatted Corrin on the shoulder. "These can get really stiff if you don't move right. Anyway, the custom here is for retainers to use small or concealable weapons rather than openly carry swords or lances like in Nohr."

"Seems like you've adjusted to Hoshidan life quickly."

"It's not terribly different from Nohr. Just a few differences in culture and clothing, and everything else is essentially the same."

"You must have had quite a bit of time if you picked up this much already…"

"I did…I-it…" She paused. "I was really worried about you. Learning some culture took my mind off things." Her expression turned stoic.

"Well. I'm back from the dreamlands now; I think I've done enough sleeping for the rest of the week." Felicia cracked her usual sunshine-y smile at the dry humor.

"Glad to hear it – welcome back."

"Shall we go then? I believe my fumbling has gone on long enough." He tucked the weapon in his left side of the belt.

"Of course, Corrin. Follow me, please."

The two began their trek. The warm, brown passages along the way were somewhat narrow; it was hard for three people to walk side-by-side – the complete opposite of the spacious and immense Nohrian hallways. It was, however, much brighter and open. Windows abound, looking over the more scenic views of the Sakura tree-decorated grounds below, all while lit with a gentle afternoon sun. Soon enough, the two reached another spiral staircase, and descended to the ground floor. A few more moments passed as Felicia guided the bare-footed prince to the hall in question. There were plenty of tatami rooms. One of them right outside their destination was in use by a group of eight armed men and women. Corrin had caught their attention. Half of them gave pleasant smiles as a greeting while the other half scowled menacingly, both prompting him to smile back and walk faster. Felicia motioned for Corrin that they had arrived. She slid the large double screen doors open and stepped back.

Inside were a small group of people, five sitting around the large, but short, oaken table in the center and three servants shuffling about. Food was being brought out, but no one was eating yet.

"Ahh. Corrin, there you are." Mikoto greeted. "Come in. Come in. There's a seat here." She motioned for him to sit next to her, and he did so. Ryoma was present, as were three unfamiliar faces: two females and a male.

"Hello, Corrin." Ryoma addressed. "Are you doing better now?"

"Yes, Ryoma. I am, but I haven't remembered everything."

"I see…what do you remember?" He asked hesitantly.

"…The circumstances around my abduction, bits and pieces of life here, and Mother and Father."

"Then you… remember nothing of your siblings…?"

"Only fragments, but nothing definitive. I'm sorry."

"O-oh. O-of course…"

…There was dead silence for a few moments.

Mikoto spoke up to push through the awkward and tense atmosphere. "Then, shall you introduce yourselves again? It might jog his memory."

"I'll start." It came from the redhead sitting across from him. "My name is Hinoka; I'm your elder sister." Her red eyes bore through him with authority. She wore an equally red one-piece dress with white and teal accents, and red gloves with white arm-sleeves. Given a few minutes, it looks like she could be properly armored; while formal, it was clearly part of a uniform. The only, non-military accessory on her was a white scarf, loosely tied around her neck and tossed behind her. "I am an officer of the Hoshidan Pegasus Corps."

"She's quite fearsome with a naginata." Ryoma stated matter-of-factly.

"I can tell more about myself later." She was clearly avoiding extended conversation with him. "Which one of you would like to go next?"

"I-I will go next." The voice sounded strained. It was the youngest looking of the three strangers. "My name i-is Sakura… I am your younger sister." She was dressed rather similarly to Mikoto, but did not wear the motif-ed tiara, had brown eyes, and had short pink hair accented by a white hairband with the Hoshidan crest on it. "I hope… we can get along as we have before."

Corrin smiled and nodded in agreement at her wish. "I'd like that too." Sakura breathed out, relieved, and smiled happily in return.

"Okay then. I'm up." The last unknown royal spoke up, not holding eye contact with Corrin. "I'm Takumi, your younger brother, but elder to Sakura." He wore blue garb with simple black pants and a sleeveless white _haori._ However, the bottom half of the _haori_ was composed of white furs, and the coat itself was tied together with a red rope at the stomach-level rather than hanging freely. In appearance, it was surprisingly versatile, and it matched his long, ash-blonde hair which was tied into a ponytail. "I enjoy archery and, subsequently, hunting. It's good to see you again." His greeting sounded forced, but he was definitely happy.

"Then that leaves me. My name is Ryoma, as you know. I am the eldest of us, and a commander in the Hoshidan army. It's good to have you back, Corrin."

"Thank you, everyone, for introducing yourselves. It will take time for Corrin to get adjusted to life here again. Please help him out." said Mikoto.

"I would like to thank all of you as well: for making me feel welcome here, despite my lack of memory. I imagine it's uncomfortable for you, but please bear with me."

"It's nothing, Corrin. We're just glad to have you back." said Hinoka.

…

After their meal, the royals went their own ways. Evening was approaching, and Corrin wanted to take a walk around the grounds at the base of the castle. Felicia accompanied him.

"So, how did the meal go, Corrin?"

"Uhh… aside from having no clue about Hoshidan dining etiquette and my siblings being kind of awkward around me, it was good. It…I felt truly safe and comfortable. It was like a dream to be honest."

"Sounds like you've found a new home."

"Something like that." Corrin pointed to a koi pond as he walked by. They stopped for a second to admire it. "But… I don't think I can stay here. I'm also a prince of Nohr, whether I want to be anymore or not."

Felicia responded by pointing to a lookout point atop a small hill. The two changed their course to there. "Mhmm. I was wondering when you would address this."

Both of them arrived at the lookout and sat down in the soft grass. A gentle breeze passed through on its journey eastward. The sky was painted a soft orange in the sunset. Juniper trees and the occasional Sakura tree spread out in a coordinated pattern. The town below slowly began to glow as shops and houses lit lanterns. But the rivers babbled away and the birds would sing until the sun slept, never tiring of the endless flow of the conversation with the world.

"What do you think of the matter, Felicia?"

"If I were in your place, I'd choose the one I'd have the most regrets leaving. But it's never that simple, right?"

"Mm. I'd have regrets no matter where I'd go. Both sides have good reasons for me to stay. I grew up in Nohr. Xander and the others are family to me, even though we aren't related by blood; I also have you, Jakob, Flora, and Gunter if he were still with us. Though, if I do return, I'd be a subject to Garon." There was no feeling when he uttered the name. Now, if anything, he was only grateful for Garon giving him a home until now. "On the other hand, my actual family and home is here in Hoshido. I'm estranged by time and culture, but I will always be welcome here."

"Well. Give it some more thought. This kind of thing can't be rushed. There's obviously more that has to be considered other than a matter of wanting to stay somewhere more."

"I intend to. This needs to resolve properly or else there will be major repercussions. Defection is among the least of them…" Corrin sighed deeply and laid himself down.

The two, once again, were together in contemplative silence as the wind continued to blow.

Corrin tapped Felicia on the shoulder. "I'll give it some more thought tomorrow. Let's head back in and get some rest; I'm drained."

"I thought you slept enough for a week."

Corrin sighed. "Please. In one week, I've had enough excitement for a lifetime." The two got up and left for the castle.


	9. Chapter 9: Rekindling

***It's been what, two years since I last posted an update to this story? Well. Guess what? I'm back...ish. I've had some personal matters that I needed to resolve, and I think I'm in the clear for now, so here's a (very) short chapter. I need some time to get back into the swing of things, but I hope you'll find something to enjoy with my work still.

The next few days came and passed faster than Corrin expected. He woke up, tidied up a bit, and roamed the halls, taking in more of the foreign environment he could call home. Felicia was about helping servants with their duties. It was about a week and a half since the two of them arrived into the custody of Hoshido.

…

"Corrin!" A voice called out from behind him down the corridor.

He turned around to see his militant sister hurrying towards him.

"Ah. Hello, Hinoka. How can I help you?"

She took a quick breath. "I understand you've been raised as a noble of Nohr?"

"That's correct. Is there something you wanted to know?"

"Not quite. But, if you've been raised as royalty, then you've trained as they do... I could use a different sparring partner."

"Yes, I've been trained to fight, as expected. What prompted this?" He tilted his head, a puzzled expression crossed his face.

"Call it an opportunity for a bonding exercise."

"...You know, there are other less dangerous ways to do that other than swinging weapons at each other?"

"Yes... but… uhh… I don't know what you learned other than fighting…"

"But... you could just ask me?"

"Yeah, I could, but shouldn't we start on common ground? We're obviously still not comfortable around each other…"

 _She's not wrong._ "Alright. When and where?" Corrin scratched his head.

"Great! There's a small courtyard in the center of the ground level. You've probably passed it a few times. Meet me there shortly." He responded with a grunt and a nod.

The two parted ways. He donned his now-returned custom armor and the Ganglari, and proceeded down, bare-footed as usual, to the first floor courtyard, the warrior-princess was ready and waiting. Sakura was sitting nearby, watching her elder sister do practice swings and stances with a naginata. She waved at Corrin, who returned the gesture; this caught Hinoka's attention and she turned to face him.

"Are you ready then, Corrin?"

"I am."

"Feel free to pick one." She gestured to a nearby rack of practice weapons, resuming her practice.

"Let's see then…" He went over and picked up one of the blades and gave it a swing. "Oh... I see…" He gave the weapon a few more practice swings – some with one hand, and others with two. "Alright…" After a few more minutes examining the grip and blade concavity, he placed aside the Ganglari and stepped to the opposite of Hinoka.

She stopped swinging and turned to face the prince. "You've made your choice then?"

"Yes."

"Alright. No lethal force, but put some gusto into those swings!"

"Of course!"

"Then, Sakura?"

"Y-yes." She stood up, meekly raised her hand, but with a surprisingly strong voice spoke: "Ready!" The two took a stance: Corrin, a high stance with his sword pointing forward; and Hinoka, a low stance with the naginata pointed Corrin's head, blade facing upward. "Begin!"

Corrin dashed out and struck first with a downward slash. Hinoka swatted the strike to the right, disrupting Corrin's balance and using the momentum to strike with the butt of her weapon. Corrin ducked under, skating forward past the princess and turning about-face. Hinoka whirled around and began to closed the gap, twirling her weapon forward, cut upward with the tip. He jumped back even further and re-primed a lower stance, the sword down and behind and to the right like a tail – Hinoka mimicked the motion.

"What's the matter, Corrin? Never fought a polearm user before?" She taunted with a smile.

"Not one that uses a naginata…" He exhaled; the stress slowly lowered as he re-entered the rhythm of fighting.

She swung the weapon forward, telegraphing a low, powerful stab. Corrin sidestepped to the right, and retaliated with a low cut of his own which was deftly deflected again.

The two traded blows back and forth, one's blade meeting the other's or armor. But the matchup was uneven overall: Hinoka's reach gave her a massive advantage, tiring Corrin out much faster than normal.

...

Hinoka thrust forward once again, Corrin, now grasping the flow of her technique, smoothly parried and returned with a thrust of his own.

"Good reflexes!" she called out.

"But in the end, his attack met nothing but air. In turn, Corrin received a solid hit to his back with the blunt end of the princess's naginata, knocking him to the ground more winded than he expected. She had ducked under his strike again and gotten behind him.

"It looks like I win, Corrin." A wry smile crept across her face.

"For today." Sweat dripped as he stood himself back up. " Next time, I'll get you."

"Don't get cocky." She walked over and tapped his shoulder with the shaft of her weapon "Good technique, sure, but y' still need to get used to dealing with polearms."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Then if you got it, one affirmation when talking to me." She tapped his shoulder again. "Get cleaned up, I'll see you in while."

"Sure."

It was after this occurrence that the other siblings joined in spending time with Corrin. Ryoma found his way into the sparring matches over the next few days. Sakura ended up swapping hobbies and stories. Though probably, out of those couple of days, the most memorable thing to Corrin was that Takumi had invited him to go hunting; It was approaching the third week since his arrival in Hoshido. The young prince had made a habit out of sneaking out into the town and exploring, much to the dismay of the servants and Ryoma. He and Felicia were returning from such an expedition...

"And so! After Karashi reeled in the fish, who would have thought that his boss had hooked the same one!"

"Pfft. That's great! Oops!" Corrin bumped into a hooded woman. "My apologies." He slightly bowed.

"Ahh… Please, pay it no mind. Excuse me." The woman pulled her hood down further and hurriedly walked away.

"...Didn't she sound familiar? She hesitated as if she knew you."

"Yeah... But all of Hoshido knows of me. Even if it was her, why would she be all the way out here?"

"To look for you?"

…

The duo made their way back to Shirasagi Castle as night took the lands in a soft embrace. Morning came, followed by frenzied knocking on Corrin's door.

"Prince Corrin! You have an urgent summons from the Queen!" A male servant let himself in.

"Calm down. What's the matter?" He quickly fastened belt on his robe and rest his hand on the servant's shoulder to placate him.

"Y-you have a visitor, my prince. A lady from the Nohrian court and her entourage. In the Lily Reception Room."

"Please inform them that I will be down shortly."

"A-at once!"


End file.
